In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been denoted by…
2025
In the following passage, there are blanks, each of which has been denoted by a letter. For each blank, five options are given.
Choose the most appropriate word from the options that fits the blank appropriately.
In a healthy office environment, it is important that senior employees ___________(A) guidance and support to their juniors. Newcomers often feel ___________(B) when trying to understand their roles and responsibilities. A helpful senior can ___________(C) the learning process by sharing experiences and providing useful tips. This not only builds confidence but also ___________(D) stronger team relationships. When juniors feel respected and ___________(E), they are more likely to contribute effectively. Hence, mutual cooperation and mentorship are ___________(F) for maintaining a productive workplace.
Which of the following words best fits in blank D?
- A.
blocks
- B.
pursues
- C.
fulfilled
- D.
fosters
- E.
integrate
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept: In a sentence-completion task, the chosen word must satisfy TWO constraints at once — grammar (it must agree with the subject and the verb form already in the sentence) and meaning (it must keep the sentence logically consistent). Blank D sits in a parallel structure: "This not only builds confidence but also ______ stronger team relationships." The verb after "but also" must mirror "builds" — a present-tense, third-person-singular verb whose subject is "This" — and it must carry a positive, relationship-building sense.
Application: Apply both filters to blank D.
Grammar filter: the parallel "not only builds ... but also ___" needs a singular present-tense verb ending in -s. Only a verb in the "-s" form fits cleanly here.
Meaning filter: the idea is that confidence-building also encourages stronger team relationships to grow. The needed word means "to encourage the growth or development of."
The word that means "to encourage the development of" and takes the -s form is the one that satisfies both filters, producing "...but also fosters stronger team relationships."
Cross-check / contrast: Test each candidate against the two filters:
fosters — "to encourage the growth or development of"; correct -s form and positive sense, so the sentence reads naturally as "builds confidence but also fosters stronger team relationships."
blocks — means "to prevent"; the meaning is the opposite of building relationships, so it breaks the logic.
pursues — means "to chase / try to achieve"; one does not "pursue stronger relationships" here, so the sense is unidiomatic.
fulfilled — past-tense / participle form; it does not match the present-tense parallel with "builds," so it fails the grammar filter.
integrate — base form without the -s ending; it does not agree with the singular subject "This," so it is grammatically off.